Fighting after feeding

[Groc352]

We went and met with the trainer this past Saturday. about 2 hours with just zia, then he had an assistant bring out Molly. Both on very small prong collars and a very thin 6ft CAT leash.
It is kinda hard to explain everything because there was a lot to process and take in within the 3 hour session, but ill try.

Molly reacted to seeing Zia right away. barking and lunging. he corrected her with a swift "pop" of the collar and a NO. instantly releasing the pressure on the leash. slack in the leash is his favorite term.

both dogs were walked around the room for around 15 minutes. slowly the trainers got closer and closer to each other keeping the dogs on the outside. then got to a point where molly would be sitting and zia could walk right in front of her, within one foot, and molly didn't react. only turned her head and looked away from her.

half an hour or so of doing this, they brought out a mobile dog pen.
put molly in the pen, dropped the leash and the trainer left her in there on her own.
zia was brought right up to the pen, a piece of hot dog was held in front of both dogs, the dogs licked at it, licked each other, smelled each other. and had no negative reactions towards each other. neither dog actually gets to eat the treat.
dogs were reversed in the pen and the same thing happened. no negative reactions. but they were nose to nose through a pen.
I consider that to be a small success.

The trainer wanted to keep molly there for a few days to help with her social skills. he puts her with a small group of dogs that he knows well outside for limited amounts of time. She has been doing very well and is getting more and more comfterble being around a pack of dogs without being anxious.
We go tomorrow to put Molly and Zia together again and see how things go. I am hopeful that Molly does not react negatively right when she sees Zia. will see.
Then after we meet, we go to a 1 hour group class with both dogs and other dogs to work on the obedience practices he has taught us and his other clients.


I never said I knew what I was doing when it comes to dog training. I am 25, these are my first dogs on my own. (grown up with them my whole life) Things were going along fine before this happened. but I just didn't have the knowledge of dog training, or how to read a dogs body language before.

I am dedicated to my dogs, I spend as much time as I possibly can with them and they mean a lot to me and my fiancé. but clearly not being educated enough might have caused the problems we had.

the trainer we are going to seems very good. has lots of positive reviews from people with similar problems.
after one day with him I was able to see changes in zia's behavior based on the way we handle her.

I am doing the best I can here, I didn't seek out getting Dutch Shepherds. they are both from a shelter,which didn't disclose proper breed..it does not seem like re homing either dog is a viable option because what if something happens with someone else? I will feel like its my fault regardless if they are living with me or not.
and I don't think putting a dog down just because you cant "make them behave" is a proper way of handling things either unless you have truly exhausted every option and "aggressive" dog trainer you can find.

Frank Allison has written a book about his training style and I recommend everyone who is interested, in picking it up. I am in no way soliciting the sale of this, just trying to spread what we are learning.

http://www.amazon.com/Allisons-American ... og+trainer

thanks to everyone for the positive comments.

we have a long road ahead, and a lot of work with both dogs. this isn't some quick fix thing.
we will be going to group classes twice a week every week until we feel like we have conquered the problems.

[Raven]

I'm glad the initial trial was positive. As you said, lots of work down the road.

In some instances, a pop can make a negative association, making a situation worse, especially when popped in the face of a known trigger. Molly is kind of soft, right? So, okay. She got it. (So if she gets that type of language, and she let Zia have her food, why did Zia take it to the next level, resulting in Molly becoming reactive? I'm thinking out loud here....)

Whatever really happened to start this, only Molly and Zia know. Something very early on changed the dynamics. (And it's almost like once Zia found she could intimidate Molly, she went harder on her.)

I'm very interested to hear what he has to say about Zia.

Here's hoping your road--and theirs--is as smooth as it can be, given the situation.

Please keep us informed how things are going. Best wishes....

[Groc352]

Thanks.

We (the trainer and I) think a lot of it has to do with both dogs maturity levels. they are both coming into their own, and one could be further along then the other in that aspect.

what do you mean by your interested in hearing what he has to say about Zia? in regards to why this all started happening?
His opinion was maturity levels, high drive and lack of leadership on our part.

[Groc352]

An update,

I am happy to say that since last week Monday, the two dogs have been together again with no incidents!
our work with the trainer I mentioned above, Frank Allison has been extremely helpful. he gave us the knowledge and confidence to get our dogs back on track.

we have changed up the way we do things like feeding. both dogs eat in their crates and the bowls go away as soon as the food is done. that seems to be making a big difference.

we do group obedience classes twice a month now. sometimes there are only a few other people and dogs, sometimes there are up to 20.

its been nice to finally get back to where we started.
both dogs happy in the home and able to be together without any issues.

our training is every day now. every day we work them on obedience in the house, or out in public on walks, or in pet stores.
its nice to be able to walk through a pet store by myself with both dogs at the same time and they do great.

I wish we would have sought out a good trainer so much sooner.

[ICE]

That is excellent news!!! I am very happy for you.

[Raven]

Awesome news! So happy for everyone!